Shotlist

Text in quotes are from intertitles. * indicates excellent footage.

Reel 1

00:27 "Early in the spring of 1927 when the streams of the North swollen from melting snows and much rain, began to pour their waters into the Mississippi, it became evident that a new chapter in the history of floods would soon be written."

00:44 "The levees sagged and snapped and the unharnessed waters of the raging Mississippi poured over the land far and wide wreaking distress, misery and death from Illinois to the Delta."

00:61 MS. Fast flowing water, partially submerged houses. Pan up and down stream.

1:23 "The roar of a big crevasse, like the thunder of a rushing railway train, may be heard miles"

1:34 MS. Several torrent shots, soldier with bayonet marching on bank, submerged house in background.

2:24 "Everything under water at Klemwood LA."

2:54 "Marooned on the levee tops with their domestic animals and whatever furniture, bedding and clothes they could save"

MS. Dense packed scene of people and furniture on levee, water and boats on both sides.

3:08 "Unknown thousands of farm animals drowned and starved"

Cows on levee next to barge.

3:22 "Box cars, barges and rafts saved many families until they could be taken to the camps."

Proper women in dresses, heels look out of box car. Various family with young child in raft. Couple next to ramshackle shack.

3:53 "A Noah's Ark of 1927"

Shots of water craft with animals.

4:10 "The Red Cross moved swiftly. Secretary Hoover on the request of the President took charge April 20th."

Group of officials conferring, inclduing Hoover and woman with a Red Cross arm band

4:27 "The US Army is shipping everything that can possibly be spared - in the way of supplies and equipment - to the flood suffers"

Shots of supplies being moved by Negro workmen.

5:00 "Reinforcing the levee at Baton Rouge LA. The way thousands of men worked night and day in rain or shine in frantic efforts to hold the weakening levees."
Negro laborers shoveling onto a levee, lifting sandbags. *

5:22 "Evacuating the Bayou des Glaises country"

Hectic street scene, with goats and people milling about. Boats and barges underway loaded with people, animals, luggage.

5:49 "The great rescue fleet included anything that could float - piroques, rafts, barges, fishing craft, Navy tugs, Coast Guard cutters and river steamers."

Large group of men lifting a raft.

Shot from moving raft of flooded street, submerged houses. *

Negro men wading through water pushing a raft with woman holding child, luggage. *
6:29 "Over 500,000 farm animals were saved and cared for until they could return to their homes."

Line of mules and cattle being moved down a ramp.

6:52 "Moving out"

People loading up boats and pushing off from houses.

7:16 "Rescue steamers churn the yellow tide pushing bargeloads of silend stupefied people, coaxed from their perilous retreats."

7:42 "Planes soaring overhead spot groups on levees or housetops as to send boats to their rescue."

Plane flying. Person sitting on roof, boat pulling up.

8:06 "The victims come in all kinds of boats."

Various boats crowded with people.
CU of woman and child on a crowded boat. *

8:41 "A boat load of rescued cattle on the way to Vicksburg"

9:03 "Aboard the USS Inspector on the Mississippi - between Vicksburg and Baton Rouge"

Steamboat underway.

9:20 "In seeking marooned flood victims, river boats steamed boldly across the flooded fields and over half submerged tree tops."

10:00 end Reel 1

Reel 2

10:11 "Secretary Hoover and Secretary of War Davis at Vicksburg on a tour of th e flooded areas. With them are Jasper Feiser, Acting Nat'l Chairman, Red Cross, and G.E. Patterson, Gen'l Manager of the LC Railroad"

10:40 "Maj Gen Edgar Jadwin, Chief of Engineers US Army, inspecting flood conditions at the mouth of the Yazoo River from the air"

Water plane taking off

11:13 "On the way to Baton Rouge Louisiana"

11:35 "Secretary Davis is making a thorough study all along the route"

CU of officials on moving boat.

12:02 "Down the river from Vicksburg to Natchez"

12:49 "The official party at Camp Natchez"

13:00 "The little children gather around"

Official with line of posed white children, refugee tents in the background. One child on the left is picking his nose.

13:16 "Old 'Auntie' meets them too"

Officials with older negro woman smoking a pipe.

13:33 "In the camps at Baton Rouge"

LS of many rows of tents.

13:50 "Registering the names of the refugees and compiling such information as will help in making further plans"

Negro refugees gathered around a white woman writing on a pad of paper.

14:06 "Vaccination old and young - as a first precaution. Col. Inman W. Cooper, Med. Reserver Corps of Miss. - one of the doctors."

Doctor assisted by nurse vaccinates a Negro child being held by its mother.

Long lines waiting to be vaccinated. Soldier hands small negro child something.

14:25 "More than half a million people were inoculated with the result that no lives were lost through contagious diseases."

Line of negroes, mostly children walking by camera, tents in the background.

14:51 "In the camp kitchen"

15:08 "Plenty of food for all"

Pan of people eating on rows of tables under a crowded tent. Young white children's faces in the foreground.

Various CU shots of white people, mostly children, eating.

Negroes being served in a food line.

15:41 "Enjoying it - picnic style"

Negroes, mostly children, eating on the ground. *

White children lined up to get milk.

16:11 "Mere babies"

Children at outdoor table

16:21 "It's wash day over in the colored folks' camp"

Lines of negroes washing closes in basins outside.

16:39 "Doing the family washing"

Negro family with mother doing the wash.

16:55 "Major O. Schneider, 156th Inf LA NG, Commanding Officer of the camp inspecting the tents of the 5,000 herein"

Major talking with negro man in line of tents.
Soldier with rifle over shoulder marching past line of negro lounging at tents.

17:23 "This - the neatest tent - wins the prize"

17:42 end Reel 2